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I WAS three years old when our family came to Karachi from Delhi at Partition, 70 years ago.

While I have no memory of the journey, I learned later that our train had been attacked on the way, and we had been saved only by the presence and courage of the handful of soldiers who escorted us. Hundreds of thousands who fled the madness on both sides of the new border had been less fortunate.

Years later, I asked my late father — a well-known writer and Sanskrit scholar in undivided India — why he had taken the decision to migrate to the new state. “Well,” he replied. “My Hindu and Sikh friends said they were not sure they could protect us at the height of the rioting. Also, I thought there would be more opportunities for you children in Pakistan.”

So what have we gained from Partition?

Since then, I have often wondered how life would have turned out had he decided to stay. Until a couple of decades or so ago, it was less clear he had made the right choice. This was when India still seemed to be following the secular path charted by its founding fathers, a path abandoned long ago by Pakistan.

However, as the extreme Hindu nationalist philosophy of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has taken root, India is becoming a depressing mirror image of Pakistan, something columnist Mahir Ali noted recently in these pages. Over the years, I must have received scores of emails from Indian readers saying how glad they were that Pakistan had gone its own way, otherwise India would have had to cope with millions of more Muslims.

Similarly, Pakistanis have justified Partition by pointing to the plight of millions of marginalised Indian Muslims. But as I wrote at the 50th anniversary of Pakistan, an undivided subcontinent would have had around 600m Muslims. This is not a small minority that could have been easily kicked around by the majority.

So what have we gained from Partition? And what have we lost? In 1947, the land that now constitutes Pakistan was among the most undeveloped areas in India. There is little doubt that much physical progress has been made since Partition. Universities, colleges and schools have proliferated; hospitals built; an elaborate network of roads links villages to towns; and telephone lines and electricity connections are available to millions.

But at the same time, the perpetual state of hostility with India over Kashmir has ensured a huge and continuous drain on our resources. And there has been the immeasurable cost caused by our powerful army’s constant meddling in politics. This has skewed and stunted democratic institutions, and given birth to the Islamist militancy used by our establishment to further its regional agenda. And this, in turn, has led to a shredded national reputation abroad, and the loss of thousands of lives to home-based terrorism.

In search of a national identity, Pakistan has looked west to the parched deserts of Saudi Arabia for cultural inspiration. Disregarding our rich South Asian heritage, there have been plans to impose Arabic on schoolchildren; the establishment of madressahs has been encouraged, often with Saudi funding.

These multiple threads of enforced religiosity have produced an overarching environment where reason and rational thought are rejected as western inventions. To illustrate our backward trajectory, Hafiz Saeed — leader of the Jamaatud Dawa, and a man with a $10m bounty on his head posted by the US government for his alleged history of armed militancy — is setting up a political party to contest the next elections. Unsurprisingly, he is using a new version of Mr Jinnah’s party, the Muslim League, as a vehicle for his political ambitions.

The growing fundamentalism in Pakistan is the result of the inescapable logic of demanding a state in the name of religion: sooner or later, it will come to dominate the social and political landscape.

A dearth of vision, imagination and political courage has defined the leadership we have been cursed with for most of the post-Partition years. Mr Jinnah and his colleagues and contemporaries must be turning in their graves at the thought of the pygmies who succeeded them. Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, Asif Zardari and Tahirul Qadri are only some of the political stars on our horizon, though the latter is more like an asteroid who makes an annual appearance to sow further discord.

At Partition, we were a country of around 32m; since then, we have multiplied like rabbits, and now number 200m. Had so many Pakistanis been educated, we could have been a powerhouse of creativity and productivity. As it is, millions live in abject poverty with no access to schools, hospitals or clean drinking water.

So while many middle-class urban Pakistanis will celebrate our country’s 70th birthday with much fanfare, millions of women and members of our minorities will have little to cheer about.

On DawnNews

Comments (76) Closed

Though what you say is true but the world seems simpler than what you perceive. All we need is security. We can soar high in a short time. We have a wonderful country.

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Asad

Aug 12, 2017 08:05am

I am from a village in Punjab where our elders protected the lone Hindu family from reactionary zealots, but when things started getting out of our hand that family had to move to India.

Above said, while urban aeducated population may not feel the advantage of creation of Pakistan, for underprivileged rural population it has doubtlessly been a great blessing (even in face of all that went wrong as described above).

However, the reason for this plight of ours (in my view) is not the religiosity but lack of spending on education sector and the ruthless kinship of educated Pakistanis (who happen to be the mohajirs) who only promoted and cared for their fellow Urdu speaking population. They never considered locals (Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushtoon, Balochis) as their equals/brothers, and being majority in the civil bureaucracy only favored mohajirs while never stoop up against atrocities of Vaderas, Khans, Sardars and Chaudhris against uneducated/poor locals.

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Shashank

Aug 12, 2017 08:21am

Sir,

Nice introspection. I have always liked your arti les.

With due respect to my Pakistani friends, it was a good idea to separate. On a simple logic. These days, 2 brothers can't be forced to live under the same roof in spite of severe emotional pleadings by friends and family. There is too much friction and bad blood.

I don't know whether its right or wrong. But if 20%of population wants to separate, then its wrong to keep them together just for utopian ideals.

Only if this partition could be done in more humane way. But then, divorces are always messy

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Gabbar

Aug 12, 2017 08:27am

I'm agreed with the writer's view.

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Raghav

Aug 12, 2017 08:33am

Very nicely articulated irfan saab! Really surprised to know the Sanskrit credentials of your father, the language is long forgotten in india too! I would differ on one take of your that India is heading towards religious intolerance. There are aberrations but the nation still holds and follows the deeply etched values of secularism-Muslim girls aren't converted, religious freedom is at its highest notwithstanding the irritants in the form of few fringes. Sir also ur reading of RSS is misplaced, would request a writer of your caliber to to do some research on the most misconstrued organisation. Partition had it still and sadly the animosity between the two
Neighbours is beyond the partition day scale! Is this what we want to leave for our posterity. We all need to ponder. Thx for a
Great read and kudos to dawn for high standards of journalism. U should think of DAWN INDIA too!

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Sarwat

Aug 12, 2017 08:35am

"So what have we gained from Partition?"
Freedom!!!!!

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Patel.LA. uSA

Aug 12, 2017 08:43am

Very well written . Experience well educated person.

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VIJAY HALGERI

Aug 12, 2017 08:47am

Very clearly you don't know much about India. .

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N. Bhattii

Aug 12, 2017 08:54am

Main thing we could not unresrtand that is definatoin of democrcay and its implement. Term democracy used by our politians is just a word which help them to make fool all of us. We did not gain a stable political process, a reforming state, a proper educational structure

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Sameer

Aug 12, 2017 08:57am

United we stand, divided we fall

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Aamir Raz

Aug 12, 2017 09:18am

Apart from Kashmir, continued contention in smaller provines and their parts is another cropped up issue. Other than migrated population, Bangal and Punjab faced harshest brutalities for dividing their provines. But blessing in disguise they turned out fortunate later on.

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GK ( Netherlands)

Aug 12, 2017 09:20am

Muslims are the second largest community in India. So it is there responsibility to maintain the Secular fabric of the Society. They have fulfilled it in every respect.

AND Islam understood and followed by Indian Muslims is different from other countries. They have no issues with Hindus , Christian or Jews. Similarly you will find that there is unity amongst different sects of Islam in India

And therefore India will be always a Secular Country. I give credit to Hindus and Muslims equally for that !

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SATT

Aug 12, 2017 09:23am

A strong minority is better than a vulnerable state.

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Blue Earth

Aug 12, 2017 09:42am

I agree with the esteemed author, but calling India racially intolerant is a bit per-mature. In a democracy, the pendulum always swings. Think of the present US administration. However, the progress India has made in relation to Pakistan is manifolds - in every field - especially in technology. Of course, Indians can't brag about much as they are down in the dumps when compared to China.

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thomas Benjamin

Aug 12, 2017 10:00am

Excellent write-up.

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suraj

Aug 12, 2017 10:17am

@Sarwat
Absolutely nothing.

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Zia

Aug 12, 2017 10:26am

@ Sarwat
Freedom of what??

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T. Ramakrishnan

Aug 12, 2017 10:35am

I am a Tamil from Madras (Chennai). I was 9 yrs old. There were no communal riots or massacres or exodus for 600 miles. I read about them.

If there were no Pakistani movement, the subcontinent would have reached European standards of living. But no partition after the blood letting, a patch up job would have made India another Lebanon! Divorce is better than unity without mutual trust.

It is impossible to predict the future.
Wish good luck to India and Pakistan!

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Suresh

Aug 12, 2017 10:37am

Well written, article. Unity is strength, as Vajpayee said, we can change our friends but can't change neighbors. so, peace and harmony with neighbor countries is very important for progress of any nation.

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Sharma

Aug 12, 2017 10:45am

No doubt dawn is the most unbiased newspaper in indian subcontinent.....

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zahid

Aug 12, 2017 11:13am

It's an extreme view I'm afraid. All we need is security to fly high that's all.

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R Sultan

Aug 12, 2017 11:43am

@Sarwat Freedom from peace, prosperity and well being of most people on both sides of the divide!

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Masood

Aug 12, 2017 12:08pm

Fully agreed

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Imtiaz Ali Khan

Aug 12, 2017 12:34pm

@T. Ramakrishnan If we become friends than it's easy to predict the future trade and prosperity. If we keep causing us pain it's also easy to predict the destruction. Now let the masses support the hate monger politicians in both nation. Sad to see these rulers causing hate between people of one river.

Love from Sindh, Pakistan to India and Pakistan both.

IndoPak Blood Brothers 4 Life!

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well meaning

Aug 12, 2017 12:49pm

after CPEC all problems will be solved ,.just have paitence

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Badhan

Aug 12, 2017 12:50pm

Nice article.But let me add BJP or RSS is not a hinduttawadi organization, they are as secular as any other political parties of India.No party in India who fights election can afford to be a religious party.

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Babu

Aug 12, 2017 01:20pm

Irfan sahab, very NICE article.

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saddam hussain kakar

Aug 12, 2017 01:36pm

Agree sir

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dhiru

Aug 12, 2017 01:48pm

Meaning of freedom is only to give power to people that is called democracy. It is in Pakistan?? Think about it.

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k k tiwari

Aug 12, 2017 02:33pm

candid view , must be appreciated

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MG

Aug 12, 2017 02:53pm

If there is a most fortunate minority on earth, it is minority living in India.

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Khan

Aug 12, 2017 02:55pm

I commend the courage for putting together the thoughts and bitterness felt due to the state of affairs as they exist in the country. I would not blame the writer for his frustration. What I would have appreciated more would have been some thoughts on the way to progress. We have our country. We have the privilege to experiment, make mistakes and rise from there. Life of Nations is measured not in years and decades but in half century and centuries. Lets make it better for our future generations, and we sure have enormous potential to mend and rise from where we stand today.

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Sami

Aug 12, 2017 03:50pm

RSS has a Muslim as well as Christian wing, although incidents of attacks on minority have been common since 1947 its only now that people think of India intolerable toward other communities.

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Atif

Aug 12, 2017 04:18pm

Totally agree.....

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Rashid

Aug 12, 2017 04:20pm

You only have to compare the human development indicators of both countries to see where we stand. Unfortunately most Pakistanis aren't willing to do that. Neither are they will to compare the relative defence spending of both countries. We cannot afford to spend like this on defence at the expense of human development. It is retarding our economic growth and eventually it won't matter how much we spend on defence they will have left us behind.

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Tahir

Aug 12, 2017 04:34pm

You said it,without saying it !

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skandan krishnan

Aug 12, 2017 05:03pm

It is impossible to reverse history! whatever has happened has happened. The only sane course for both the countries is to become better neighbours and protect the rights and interests of their citizens, whatever may be their religion or caste or creed.
Congratulations to Dawn on publishing the articles on 70 years of pakistan and greetings to fellow pakistanis on their independence day.
I wish that on some future date, I can travel by Frontier Mail from Bombay to Lahore without a visa and see the beautiful country of yors!

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Abraham haque

Aug 12, 2017 05:40pm

@MG no that is in Pakistan

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K G Surendran

Aug 12, 2017 06:03pm

Irfan Husain just one reason to visit the Dawn website, his columns so touching and moving without the calumny, salute to a great writer.

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Arun

Aug 12, 2017 07:00pm

Dawn always sets an example in Journalism by not taking any sides and saying the truth how so sour it is.

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Parvez

Aug 12, 2017 08:03pm

A difficult topic to write on.....and you did a brilliant job......I can so relate to what you said.

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divergence

Aug 13, 2017 12:33am

Be blessed for what we have, without even witnessing the horrid events of partition. I think we are still a fairly young country, our vision needs straightening, it needs to be more focused on education, science and the different innovations taking place in world. Save country from the misuse of religion which politicians and all other parties are equally accused of doing over the time. I think hindu nationalist was bound to appear on Indian stage at one time or another, Jinnah was a visionary who looked beyond and far into the future. People can save the country from plunging into abyss of darkness. With characters like Trump appearing in western world, soon we would have no choice but to adopt correct policies for country.

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Bhakumar

Aug 13, 2017 12:34am

@skandan krishnan ----Frontier Mail in pre-partition days went from Bombay to Peshawer.

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ANUJ Agrawal

Aug 13, 2017 02:55am

CPEC will fix this too... Just wait and watch..

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Zara

Aug 13, 2017 02:55am

Dividing people is never a good idea.

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Robert

Aug 13, 2017 03:11am

On another question, what would have happened if there was no partition. The British would have simply left leaving the country at the mercy of 564 Maharazas. Nawabs, Rajas and their likes who would have never liked to form a unified country. They would have been fighting among themselves to create chaos and distributing riches for themselves. These rulers might have even created hatred among the population to serve their ends if required. That partition was the need of the time. Unfortunately it cost significant number of human lives and very poorly executed.

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JUBY MATHEWS

Aug 13, 2017 04:14am

Well written article, Irfan saab ! But I beg to differ with you on your claim of religious intolerance in India in the last few decades. Probably, you are singing the same tune as any other Pakistani would, without an iota of knowledge of facts about our country. India is as secular as it has always been, despite a few aberrations in between. I am an Indian Christian and have NEVER EVER felt even the slightest of religious discrimination in my country. Saare jahan se accha, Hindustan hamara !

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Raja Shafqat Ali

Aug 13, 2017 04:16am

Indeed.

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Neptune srimal

Aug 13, 2017 05:17am

Husain Sahab, Can you please sometimes write about your father? He seems to be remarkable person. Now I understand where you get your tolerant, compassionate, objective, analytical, and fearless mindset. Wish we had more like him (and you).

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Swamy

Aug 13, 2017 05:20am

Excellent thought!
Answer we get is starting from beginning
Partition was the idea of few elite, Nehru Jinnah,,,
Their insecurities were interpreted and now is the philosophy
600m Muslims had fair chance of winning against 900m Hindus. Perhaps we would have changed the world in many more ways
But split milk
Choice we have make paneer++ or throw it down drain
We seem to do the latter

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SACHIN

Aug 13, 2017 05:22am

Mr. Irfan Husain at his best, yet again!!!

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Brijesh Kumar

Aug 13, 2017 05:36am

@T. Ramakrishnan
You are wrong sir. Had there was no partition, India would have had traveled to 700 AD with lightening speed.

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NAGARAJA B N

Aug 13, 2017 06:26am

@well meaning We have seen many such afters.

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AHAQ

Aug 13, 2017 06:28am

Pakistan was built on a strong foundation for success but corruption is destroying it from inside out.

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ganrad

Aug 13, 2017 06:39am

This article and Shashank's comments makes me feel that partition was good - just a badly executed one - and co-existence is the way to go..

An old south Indian proverb goes with the following meaning
"If there is a fight between two brothers it becomes an entertainment for others"
Let us keep the "Others" away

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Feroz

Aug 13, 2017 06:56am

Be the agent of change you want to see. Leaders are not going to drop from heaven but have to come from the people. In a democracy there is no scope for blaming anyone but oneself. Punish those unconstitutional forces that are constantly subverting the democratic mandate because democracy remains the only hope.

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Krishna

Aug 13, 2017 07:12am

Irfan Sir, Great article but I do not agree with your views of RSS.............RSS has a separate Muslim wing. Infact, I would strongly encourage you to travel to India and meet the RSS here to understand the direction it is taking.

Muslim children study in RSS schools. Kashmiri children are sent to various RSS schools across India.

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Ahmed

Aug 13, 2017 07:34am

I disagree with most of my friends from India...the more Pakistanis want to be like Indians especially the educated south i.e. more entrepreneurs and their laser like focus on education the more Indians want to be like us ...a fundamental reactionary state that hates minorities.
It is a pitty that we still so much hatred among communities even 70 years of separation.
We don't have good politicians on each side who would like us to be friends and good neighbors...they are too busy making their families rich.
Of course Pakistan has lost its way and we have become reincarnation of an empire of the political thieves.

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Teesmaar Khan

Aug 13, 2017 07:42am

Waah Waah!

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VENKATESH V

Aug 13, 2017 10:05am

Well written. It is for the youth in both countries to break free of the past and chart a new path of peace and development. We should become mirror images but not of the kind that is evolving right now in both sides of the border unfortunately.

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faizan

Aug 13, 2017 10:44am

Not population but bad policies leads to poverty and disaster

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Aks

Aug 13, 2017 11:15am

It has also delayed the inevitable islamization of India and probably given them some extra time.

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Farooq

Aug 13, 2017 11:56am

@K G Surendran Why not , obvious and we understand as you should and must appreciate our Fifth columnist , he is really a life time columnist but with a prefix , as he has all the sympathies of our 2-3 millions minorities and very much at home of your 300 millions minorities and almost more than this population of Dalits ,

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Farooq

Aug 13, 2017 12:08pm

@Imtiaz Ali Khan I agree totally with you w.r.t Indian popular political parties earlier Nehru's Congress and now more sadly of Modi's and his Coteries , but here in my countries peoples always rejects such peoples during last 11 national elections , they are no where even at provincial or local levels

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AK

Aug 13, 2017 02:08pm

Good article and analysis.

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N Narasimhan

Aug 13, 2017 02:39pm

The article made me nostalgic. I was eight when India and Pakistan became independent. Since, the journey has been myopic since leaders missed the woods for the trees. If population of Pakistan zoomed from 32 million, to 200 million now, in India it rose from 330 million to 1300 million. The consequent strain on natural resources to sustain it has become unsustainable. His statement “Mr Jinnah and his colleagues and contemporaries must be turning in their graves at the thought of the pygmies who succeeded them.”, applies with equal force to the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru. The focus in the two countries on what separates them rather than on what is common to them, This has precluded visions of cooperating to fight the common enemy which is grinding poverty, ignorance and superstition resulting as he says in “skewed and stunted democratic institutions, and given birth to the religious militancy”, to be used as a tactic to divert attention of people.

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wazeer

Aug 13, 2017 03:43pm

there is no doubt that we failed politically ,socially,religiously .we failed as a nation but I am sure if one thing that our leaders had no idea at that time that coming regime would fail to deliver justice and harmony to the people of life land.however we are young democracy and we have to work as a nation .

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Asif Ali

Aug 13, 2017 09:41pm

A honest analysis, if followed, will open door of peace and progress.

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Kamran Sultan

Aug 14, 2017 05:32am

Whilst I read your articles and do no agree with most of the content. However, this one reflects most of my thoughts on the matter. Well done sir, hope the nation opens its eyes and see what is being inflicted upon them in the guise of freedom and religion.

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Mukul Mia Talukder

Aug 14, 2017 06:13am

In order for Pakistan to progress, the focus has to be on education and not on military. This needs to happen as soon as possible. Pakistan needs to learn from India and Bangladesh.

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mkb

Aug 14, 2017 11:17am

Mr. Hussain, so you are Delhite, very happy to know.

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Pulak

Aug 14, 2017 12:03pm

Yet another masterpiece from you sir. I check DAWN site daily for your articles. Wish your father had chosen to stay in India. As an Indian I would have loved that.

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Anil

Aug 14, 2017 12:11pm

As countries become more prosperous, there is greater probability of differences between them-howsoever serious- getting resolved through peaceful means.. This just like two individual who, if they are poor are more likely to indulge in a street quarrel and if rich settle it peacefully. All we can do is hope that our countries become so rich that that these quarrels look very petty to the decision makers.

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Sajeev

Aug 14, 2017 01:08pm

Very good article.

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ashutosh mishra

Aug 14, 2017 01:57pm

Agree 100% with you Irfan Saheb on every word you wrote here including the RSS bit. Please consider visiting us in Pune whenever on a visit to India. My FB page is there with the details. WIshing you and your countrymen the very best on their 70th national birthday!!! Warmly, Ashutosh

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Imtiaz Ali Khan

Aug 14, 2017 03:22pm

@Farooq shukria praying for peace for us all yaar. Salam to from Pakistan to you my Indian friend.